Agnieszka Radwanska plays a backhand shot against Tsvetana Pironkova.—AFP
PARIS: Yes, they actually managed to complete a match on this wettest of weeks at the French Open. Two, even.
And both involved surprises: Two of the top half-dozen seeded women lost their last-16 clashes within minutes of each other, second seed Agnieszka Radwanska and sixth seed Simona Halep after opening healthy leads on Sunday night.
But after Monday was washed out, they were forced back out Tuesday despite the rain never really relenting and slumped to bad-tempered defeats.
“I’m just so surprised and angry that we have to play in the rain. I mean, it’s not a $10,000 tournament. It’s a Grand Slam,” raged Polish star Radwanska after her 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Bulgaria’s world number 102 Tsvetana Pironkova.Radwanska had been 6-2, 3-0 up on Sunday night. “How can you allow players to play in the rain?,” said the former Wimbledon runner-up after her loss on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
“I don’t think they really care what we think. I think they care about other things.”
Halep, beaten in the 2014 final by Maria Sharapova, suffered a 7-6 (7/0), 6-3 defeat to former US Open champion Samantha Stosur of Australia.
The Romanian had been 5-3 up when their contest was suspended on Sunday.
“I have no words. It was impossible to play, in my opinion. And to play tennis matches during the rain I think it’s a bit too much,” said the Romanian after her loss on Court One.
“The the court was not good. The balls were wet, completely wet during the match. So I think it’s too difficult to play tennis in these conditions. I felt some pain, yeah, in my back, in my Achilles.